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Misguiding the Misguided

What you’re about to read may seem harsh, but I say this as a late-20 something Millennial, so hear me out:

I’d like to have the misguided, bratty, Rachel Canning removed from the Millennial Generation.

If you haven’t been following, an 18-year-old New Jersey resident has sued her parents for financial support, money for college and to pay for tuition at her private school.

When I read the headlines describing the case, I was completely dumbfounded. I’ve read about minors who have sued their parents, but those are usually child stars whose parents were mismanaging their earnings or everyday kids being abused by their parents—and both were for rights of emancipation.

What this young woman has managed to do is create a media storm around herself and highlight the spoiled and entitled characteristics some in the Millennial generation possess (and that of every generation), but if you’re reading this, please know that we’re not all like her.

Her best friend’s father—an attorney—gave her some truly horrible advice that I think will come back to haunt her. She’ll forever be known as the private school brat that sued her parents on ridiculous charges.

Let’s look at some of the key details:

She wants her parents to pay for college tuition. If you have – or are – a parent that paid for your college tuition, that’s lovely, but parents are not under any obligation to foot the bill. Many of us managed to graduate without our parents’ help. So, here’s some advice to you, Rachel: get a job (and/or keep the one you say you have now). You can work while you’re in school. You can lessen your course load and work at the same time, or you can apply for student/private loans. You could even take a year off and go to community college to save. Or, perhaps you could have asked your friend’s father to give you the money he helped you to sue your parents and put it toward the more useful endeavor of your education.

Oh, and she also wants them to pay for some living expenses–$650/week. You’re 18—see point #1.

If she or anyone who supports Rachel believes in her misguided thoughts, then we must look at changing the legal age of adulthood. Many millions of 18-year-olds are capable of taking care of themselves at 18. It’s not always easy, but it’s possible. And as the judge in the case mentioned, this lawsuit has the potential of opening the flood gates of other stupid lawsuits. That’s not verbatim, but I assumed he meant “stupid” because that’s what it is. What/when is the cut-off if not 18?

It seems as though Rachel’s parents, teachers and other adults in her life did her a big disservice if she thinks any of this is really owed to her. It’s an added bonus if people want to provide you with any of these perks, but it is certainly not necessary. It’s unfortunate that this bad behavior has been enabled to this point.

One of the lewd tweets that came flying at her before she made her Twitter profile private coined it well “Little girl, you’re pretty much unemployable . . . “ (You can read more about those tweets, here). I certainly wouldn’t want to be associated with or hire someone like this. Not even touching the other issues of inappropriate behavior, entitlement, frivolity, this is a person who seems to scream “I’ll be trouble,” wherever she may go.

Rachel, I went to a private, Catholic high school, too. I was also captain of the cheerleading squad (I didn’t lose that mid-year, by the way). I had a part-time job during all of high school and worked full-time throughout most of college. I certainly had my fair share of squabbles with my parents, but knew that when you live under their roof, it’s their rules, so I didn’t seek legal counsel or move out. Oh, and I paid (and am still paying) for college on my own. Let me know if you want to talk about creating a stronger work ethic (or any work ethic) for yourself and how student loans work. And please, please, please, stop—you’re making the rest of your generation look bad, and we’re not.

9 thoughts on “Misguiding the Misguided”

This is great and well-written. For those open to listening and learning — and there are many fantastic Millenials — this is wonderful stuff. Unfortunately, my fear is that Rachel’s notoriety will get her a reality show, lots of social media love from self-involved twits of all stripes, a melodramatic relationship with Justin Bieber and,,,,no self-knowledge to speak of.

Thanks, Peter. I completely agree with you. I mean, I could try getting a reality show about me to combat that, but I’m not sure the person who tries to go to bed at a sensible hour the nights before work will make for “good television.”

What she does is an insult to young people and in particular to those who went through the public school system, such as myself, got into colleges on merit and loans and are now professionals. Besides exiling her out of the Millennial generation, why don’t we show her a day of what it’s like to live without parents who are wealthy or friends’ parents who are wealthy? Or go abroad like Steve mentioned in yesterday’s blog and see how the other side lives? The image problem here with the younger generation will persist, because despite the fact that they are not all that bad, it is also a fact that she is not the only one with an entitlement problem. But it appears there is a socioeconomic component to this as well, and not just an age factor.

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